Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 16:21

 

Voting on the motion was deferred until Voting Time.

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM5086 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) regional school improvement partnerships have been identified by the Welsh Government as the answer to address the systemic failure in education;

 

b) the banding scheme for secondary schools has identified schools in Bands 4 and 5 as in need of urgent improvement;

 

2. Regrets that all the regional school improvement partnerships were not operational by September 2012 as promised; and

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that:

 

a) the regional education consortia are fully operational as soon as possible; and

 

b) the schools placed in lower bands are immediately provided with the necessary support to address systemic failure.

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
6	0	35	41

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

 

The following amendments were tabled:

 

Amendment 1 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Insert as new point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Notes the important work that head teachers, teachers and governors carry out on a day to day basis to secure the best possible education for our children.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
39	0	2	41

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

In sub-point 1a, after ‘regional school improvement partnerships’ insert ‘, along with the other educational reforms supported through the recently launched school improvement implementation plan and wider effective collaboration between public services,’

 

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
27	0	14	41

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 1b delete all after ‘secondary schools’ and replace with:

is seriously flawed and does not enjoy the confidence of teachers, parents or pupils.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	27	41

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 4 - Jane Hutt (Vale of Vale of Glamorgan)

 

Delete point 2.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
21	0	19	40

Amendment 4 was agreed.

 

Amendment 5 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point 3 and re-number accordingly:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to explain why the deadline for the implementation of regional school improvement partnerships was missed.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 5:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 5 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 6 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

In point 3a delete all after ‘are’ and replace with:

 

populated with the highest possible quality of candidate and fully operational as soon as possible, and if this is not possible in the next six months, to review the role of regional education consortia in the future of the Welsh education system.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 6:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	5	40

Amendment 6 was agreed.

 

Amendment 7 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes the beneficial impact that the successful implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant could have on attainment in schools.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 7:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
24	6	10	40

Amendment 7 was agreed.

 

Amendment 8 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as a new point at the end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with schools, teachers and school improvement partnerships to ensure the optimum use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant to ensure that every child can achieve their potential.  

 

A vote was taken on amendment 8:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
40	0	0	40

Amendment 8 was agreed.

 

Amendment 9 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Regrets that the Welsh Government has failed to implement an extensive and differentiated support package for secondary schools in Bands 4 and 5 in need of urgent improvement.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 9:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
20	0	21	41

Amendment 9 was not agreed.

 

Amendment 10 - William Graham (South Wales East)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Notes that 96.5 per cent of head teachers in Welsh primary schools do not believe school banding proposals will benefit their school, and believes that such a lack of support from the sector for a key Welsh Government policy could impact negatively on any school improvement agenda.

 

A vote was taken on amendment 10:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
14	0	27	41

Amendment 10 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM5086 Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes the important work that head teachers, teachers and governors carry out on a day to day basis to secure the best possible education for our children.

 

2. Notes that:

 

a) regional school improvement partnerships, along with the other educational reforms supported through the recently launched school improvement implementation plan and wider effective collaboration between public services, have been identified by the Welsh Government as the answer to address the systemic failure in education;

 

b) the banding scheme for secondary schools has identified schools in Bands 4 and 5 as in need of urgent improvement;

 

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that:

 

a) the regional education consortia are populated with the highest possible quality of candidate and fully operational as soon as possible, and if this is not possible in the next six months, to review the role of regional education consortia in the future of the Welsh education system.

b) the schools placed in lower bands are immediately provided with the necessary support to address systemic failure.

 

4. Notes the beneficial impact that the successful implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant could have on attainment in schools.

 

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with schools, teachers and school improvement partnerships to ensure the optimum use of the Pupil Deprivation Grant to ensure that every child can achieve their potential.  

 

For	Abstain	Against	Total
35	0	6	41

The motion as amended was agreed.